Coast Guard lifts security zones after completion of Republican National Convention in Tampa

Aug 31st, 2012 · Comments Off on Coast Guard lifts security zones after completion of Republican National Convention in Tampa

TAMPA, Fla. — Capt. Sheryl Dickinson, the Coast Guard captain of the port, has suspended the 22 security zones Friday, that were put in place for the Republic National Convention.

The s were lifted at 12 p.m. and all barriers that were placed in the security zones have been removed.

Specialized units from around the country supported the week-long waterside security operations, which protected 18 bridges and 24 miles of shoreline along the Intercoastal Waterway and patrolled around the main venue in downtown Tampa.

The unified maritime force included 474 members from 23 different Coast Guard units from as far north as Marine Safety and Security Team Boston, as far west as Marine Safety Unit Paducah and 57 other small boats from other government agencies. This included Customs and Border Patrol, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Tampa Police Department along with mutual aid partners who responded from Lake and Volusia Counties.

“Having an event requiring this level of security and covering such a large area was a real challenge, but we began the planning process early, included all of our law enforcement partners and kept the public informed,” said Dickinson. “We prepared for all contingencies, including heavy weather, and executed our plan.”

Tampa has a Harbor Safety and Security Committee made up of the many facility and commercial entities whose livelihood depends on maritime commerce. This group was instrumental in ensuring that the port community was prepared.

“While we facilitated commercial traffic through the security zones under escort, many of our port partners rescheduled their normal operations around the RNC. The cooperation was outstanding. We all worked together to minimize the threat of interruption to the democratic process,” said Dickinson.